Being blinded by the world means that the God of this world, Satan, has blinded the minds of those who will not believe, so the light of the glorious gospel of Christ cannot reach them.
The lost are not searching for truth and failing to find it; their minds have been blinded so that they mind only fleshly, worldly things and see nothing to be gained in the gospel. Les Feldick pictures them as helpless sheep in the wilderness, unable to feed or defend themselves, and in total darkness even while the gospel light shines toward them. Only God can take away this satanically inspired blindness — there is nothing a believer can do until He does.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 — This is the exact passage Les Feldick teaches on the subject — it says the God of this world has blinded the minds of those who believe not, hiding the gospel from the lost.
The Apostle Paul states plainly in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (KJV): 'But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.' This passage connects blindness with being lost: the minds of those who believe not are blinded by the god of this world, and the result is that the light of the glorious gospel cannot shine unto them. Romans 8:5 (KJV) describes the same division from the other side: 'For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.' Those who remain in the blinded, lost condition mind the things of the flesh. The believer, in contrast, has been set free, as Romans 8:2 says: 'For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.'
Les Feldick teaches that the 'God of this world' is Satan, and that he has blinded the minds of those who will not believe so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ cannot shine in to them (2 Corinthians 4:4). Les is careful to point out that the Bible does not say Satan has blinded the minds of those who haven't joined the church or those who don't read their Bible — it specifically says he has blinded the minds of them who believe not. The blindness produces exactly the condition the question describes: the person is consumed with the things of the world — fleshly appetites, fleshly vision, materialism — and has no concept of the Spirit; he minds the things of the flesh, the old Adamic nature. Les pictures the lost as a sheep loose in the Sahara Desert — helpless, unable to feed itself or defend itself, with death lurking at any moment. That is what 'lost' means. Because of the blindness, when believers try to bring the lost to the joy of salvation, the message falls off them like water off a duck's back; they see absolutely nothing to be gained. Les stresses the dilemma this creates: there is not a thing a believer can do until God takes away this satanically inspired blindness, which is why he points to Acts 16 and the need to pray to that end.
Les Feldick repeatedly identifies the God of this world as Satan. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul says it is 'the god of this world' who 'hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.' Les applies this to the world right now — 'even tonight,' as he puts it — clarifying that Satan is the one actively blinding the minds of the lost so the light of the glorious gospel of Christ cannot shine in.
Les teaches that such a person is in spiritual darkness and, being blinded, naturally cares only for the things of the world — fleshly appetites, fleshly vision, materialism — with no concept of the Spirit. They mind the things of the old Adamic nature rather than the things of the Spirit. He compares the lost to a sheep in the wilderness: dumb, helpless, with no means of self-defense and no ability to provide for itself, lost the minute it is turned loose.
According to Les, no human being can. He says believers are up against a dilemma: 'there's not a thing that we can do until God takes away this satanically inspired blindness.' He points back to Acts chapter 16 to show that believers must pray to this end. The lost see nothing to be gained in the gospel, so they go on their way in total darkness unless God acts.
Les emphasizes that the blinding is not for those who haven't joined a church or don't read their Bible. It is for those who will not believe. The whole world outside believers is lost, he says, going up and down in its busy lifestyle, and the gospel is hid to them that are lost.
Lost and Helpless as a Sheep
Les pictures the lost as a sheep in the wilderness — with no means of self-defense, no ability to feed itself, and no smarts to survive. This helplessness is what it means to be lost while blinded to the gospel.
Blinded Because They Will Not Believe
Les points out how plain 2 Corinthians 4:4 is: the God of this world has blinded the minds of them who believe not — not those who failed to join a church or read the Bible, but those who will not believe.
The Other Side of the Coin
Les contrasts God hiding things from the twelve in Luke 18 with the lost being blinded by the God of this world, and reminds readers that believers cannot take on the world in their own strength.
Satanically Inspired Blindness and Prayer
Les teaches that Satan has totally blinded the lost to the truth of the Word of God, and that there is not a thing believers can do until God takes away this satanically inspired blindness — which is why he points to Acts 16 and calls believers to pray to this end.
The God of This World Blinds Them
Les identifies the God of this world as Satan, who has blinded the minds of those who believe not, and says this is the dilemma every believer is up against when trying to awaken the lost.
Satan Is the God of This World
Les explicitly names Satan as the God of this world 'even tonight,' and shows that this is who has blinded the minds of the lost so the light of the glorious gospel cannot shine unto them.
Nothing to Be Gained — Total Darkness
Les describes the result of the blindness: the lost see nothing to be gained in salvation, the gospel falls off them like water off a duck's back, and they go on their way in total darkness.
Blinded People Mind the Flesh
Les teaches that a person blinded by the world has no concern for the Spirit — only fleshly appetites, materialism, and the old Adamic nature — and that is why they mind the things of the flesh.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
This is the core passage on spiritual blindness — the gospel is hidden from the lost because the god of this world has blinded their minds.
Romans 8:2: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Les quotes this as the answer to the dilemma: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes the believer free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:5: For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
This verse underlies Les's description of the blinded person, who minds the things of the flesh rather than the things of the Spirit.
It means the God of this world, Satan, has blinded the minds of those who will not believe (2 Corinthians 4:4). Because of this, they are lost and helpless like sheep, they can only see fleshly and material things, and they cannot see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ that is shining toward them.
Les Feldick teaches plainly that the God of this world is Satan, and that he is the one who has blinded the minds of those who believe not — even tonight, he says.
Les teaches that there is not a thing believers can do until God takes away this satanically inspired blindness. He points to Acts 16 to show that believers are to pray to this end, because the lost see nothing to be gained and continue in total darkness until God acts.
A person blinded by the world is in spiritual darkness, with no concern beyond the things of this world — fleshly appetites, fleshly vision, materialism — and no concept of the Spirit. They mind the things of the old Adamic nature rather than the things of the Spirit.
Watch the Teaching: Romans 6:7-12 — Can a Believer Still Sin After Being Set Free?